Transforming the nation's consciousness on race through the law, social science, and the arts.

Hispanic Interest Coalition v. Bentley

Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, et al. v. Bentley, et al. (11th Cir. 2011): EJS joined the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and other civil rights organizations across the country to sign on to an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeal for the Eleventh Circuit. Supporting the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, the brief urged the court to reverse a trial court decision denying plaintiffs a preliminary injunction against certain sections of HB 56, an Alabama immigration bill also known as the “Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act” that targets people of color, especially Latino and immigrant communities. Amici argued that HB 56 invites, and in effect requires, race-based discrimination in two primary ways: (i) HB 56 excludes children of color from Alabama public schools by requiring children and their parents to disclose their immigration status to school officials before they can register; (ii) HB 56 mandates racial profiling by requiring that police officers determine whether an individual is or is likely to be undocumented, a determination that cannot be made without resorting to judgments based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. Additionally, amici argued that HB 56 mirrors abolished forms of race-based discrimination, such as Jim Crow laws, which are intended to regulate every aspect of a person’s life.